Container with inclined front opening and closure means therefor



J. STENGREN 2,422,594 CONTAINER WITH INCLINED FRONT OPENING AND CLOSURE `MEANS THEREFOR June 17, 1947.

Filed Jan. 17, 1945 ATTORNEY Patented June 17, 1947 INGl AND CLU SURE MEANS THEEEFOR .lfon Stcngren, Forest Hills, N. Y. Application January 17, 1945, Serial No. 573,197

This invention relate-s to containers. Although the present. inventionl may bey embodied in containersl for various articles or materials, it is particularlyV useful? in respect to containers or albums for phonograph records.

One object of` the. invention is` to provide a container' which is particularly well adapted to be used as. a phonograph record album..

Another object of the invention isy to provide ay container having a receptacle' body and additionalA pants which. in the open. condition. of the contain'en. cooperate with the bottom o the receptacle body to. provide the container with a broad base. By' reason; oi this construction, the container; when closed can be ot narrow width for economy inspace orv for convenience in. carryingfandl handling andi yet is not liable to tip over when the container is opened; and is positioned so that its.: narrower dimension is at fthe bottom of the container on the surface of a table or other support..

A further object of the invention is to provide a. phonograph record container or case which, when oper-1,. exposes the sides oi" the records sothat theti-tles or other information on the labels of the: records caribey read without requiring the withdrawal of each` record from its compartment.

AY further object of the invention-is the provision of a container which is welladapted for the'V attractive packaging of various articles or materials. v

A yet further objecty ofi the invention is. generally to. provide a container, the construction of which. is simple and inexpensive' and which lendsitself to the attr-active. display or merchandising of various articles or materials;

The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present inventionr will be fully understoodv from the following description, referencebeinghad to the accompanying illustrative drawings.

In the drawings:

Fig.. 1 is a perspective View oi a container embodying` lthe present invention, said container being in the form of a record case;

Fig. 2 is aperspective View of the container in the operi condition thereof;

Fig. 3 is a vertical' sectionalk view of. the container in the closed condition thereof;

Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view on' the line fil-4" of Fie'. 3';

Fig'. 5=is a perspective view of a container embodying the present invention, the container being opened', and illustrates the embodiment of the invention in. a container for use other than as a phonograph record case.

Referring now to they drawings in detail and rst tothe: invention as illustrated in Figs. 1 to 4, the container lli: comprises' a receptacl'ebody hayportable phonograph means` here shownI as ,a

ing a bottom lgglaterally spaced side walls i4 opstanding from bottom l2 andv a rear end wall iii. also opstanding from said bottom. As here shown, side wallsv |24' oi theY receptacle: body are planar members each in the form of an isosceles right triangle.. Also, as. here shown, bottom l2 and end wall t6 are; planar members disposed in angular relation.. correspondingly, the triangle ot each side' wall M' has a right angleA between its. base lf3 and its vertical side edge 2B as-vindicate'd inFig. 1. rll'hus, as illustrated in Fig. Si; the front or upper edges 212 of side walls. i4 of the receptacle body slant or are inclined downwardly from rear' end wall I6: toward the bottom E212. The interior oi the receptacle body between laterali side walls. i4. is sub-divided into a plurality of phonograph record compartments by plurality 'of laterally planar partition members 24; positioned saidz laterally spaced relation by interposed planar spacing. members 26 and 28 positioned adiacentthe bottom lZiand by interposed spacing members iii adiacenttheupper part of end" wall it. Further, it will be observed, thatther outer edges'. oi' spacer member-'sY 5 and 3i) and the adjacent edg-e portions of partition members 21d collectively form longitudinally spacedk part-s 32 of the front oi the receptacle body,v the other iron-t parts' ofwhich are constituted by the. edges 222 oi side walls-- liti and by the upper edge portions ot the partition members: 241 between longitudinally spaced parts 32'. Thus, the iront of the receptacle body andthe front openingv of said body slant downwardly from the rea-r' end wall l5 toward the bottom l2'.

It will be understood that when ashore shown the container IG is constructed for use as a record albumor case, the Width of each record compartment between adjacent partition members 24 is such that the record slidably engages the confronting4 surfaces ofV adjacent partition members. Inv Figs. 2v and 3., a phonograph record R, shown in dot-andedash lines, is positioned within one of the. compartments, and by reference to Fig. 3 it will: be observed that the record is engaged at circumferentially spaced points by the spacing members,k 26, 2'8 and 39 of the companion record compartment. or recess, and further it will be observed thatr a substantial party of the record, here shown as about half of the. record, projects outwardly beyond the front of the receptacle body. yThis is a desirable, although not anv indispensable, feature, since it enables the title or other data on the. usual center label of the record toy be observed: without necessarilyv withdrawing the record from its particular compartment, es-

pecially in: the case of the records inthe outermost compartment or'in a compartment. adjacent one from which another record has been removed. Itv will be noted that although the opening tothe interior of the receptacle body is in a plane which extends upwardly from the bottom when the latter is in its normally horizontal position, the circular record disks can not move out of the receptacle through said opening since the spacing members 28 provide a barrier to such movement. On the other hand, the records can be easily removed from the recesses by raising said records to clear said barrier while the records are moved forwardly through said opening.

Container I!) is provided with closure means comprising laterally spaced parts 34 which in the closed condition of the container, illustrated in Figs. l and 3, extend forwardly beyond the front of the receptacle body. As illustrated, each part 3c has a planar side wall portion 36 which is of right isosceles triangular form and which in the closed condition of the container is in the same plane as the companion side wall ifi of the receptacle body. Thus, side wall I and the complementary side wall 36 of the companion part Sil together form the complete side wall of the container at each side thereof. Each part 34 is also provided with laterally projecting portions 33 and 4D, the laterally projecting portions 38 and il@ of the two parts 34 abutting each other at their adjacent inner edges when the container is closed as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 4. Each part 3d is preferably dimensioned in relation to the companion side wall I4 of the receptacle body so that in the open condition of the container illustrated in Fig. 2, laterally projecting portions lill are dis- .posed at the bottom I2 in the plane thereof and form in effect continuations of said bottom in the same plane therewith, thus providing the container with a broad base, whereby to prevent the container from tipping over when the container is opened for access to the records in the compartments of the receptacle body. It will be noted that this is a desirable feature since the container can have a bottom which is comparatively narrow, said bottom being of greater length than width, so that the container can be of narrow width to allow a plurality of similar containers to be disposed in side by side relation in a comparatively small space, and yet when the individual container is used it is prevented from tipping over on its support since in the open condition of the container lateral portions 48 broaden the base of the container.

Parts 3Q are movable from the positions which they occupy in the closed condition of the container to the retracted positions which they occupy in the open condition of the container, and in the latter positions side wall portions 36 of said parts are disposed laterally of the adjacent side walls I l in abutting relation thereto. As here shown, part 34 is hinged to the companion side wall i4. While this hinged construction may be provided by any suitable type of hinge, it is here shown as constituted by strips 42 of cloth, tape or similar sheet material adhesively or otherwise secured to the adjacent marginal edge portions of the companion parts I4 and 3f. While laterally projecting portions 38 and 40 of part 3@ are here shown at right angles to each other and of liat planar form, the side wall 36 being triangular, it is within the scope of this invention to make each of the side walls 35 of a dilerent peripheral contour. Also, while as here shown both parts 34 are movable, it is within the scope of the present invention to form one of said parts as a continuation of the companion side wall i4 in nonmovable relation thereto, and it is within the scope of this invention to omit or decrease the width of the laterally projecting portions 38 and lil of one of the parts 34 with a corresponding increase in the width of said laterally projecting portions of the other of said parts 34 to compensate for such omission or decrease in width of the laterally projecting portions on said rst mentioned part 3d. It will be understood that when parts 3d are in the position illustrated in Fig. 1 they constitute closure means for the receptacle body as well as constituting portions of the opposite side walls of the container in the closed condition thereof. Further, it will be noted that lateral portions 38 and 43 constitute parts of the peripheral wall of the container, the other parts of said peripheral wall being constituted by bottom I 2 and end wall I6.

Provision is made for holding movable parts 3d in closed condition. Any suitable locking or latching means may be provided for this purpose, but as here shown, the latching means comprises members llc and dii secured, respectively, to the lateral portions 38 of the two movable parts 34, and members d8 and 50 secured to said lateral portions, respectively, and pivotally connected to each other as indicated at '52.Y Members 48 and 5G denne an opening in which members 44 and i5 are snugly engaged in the latched condition of the latching means. The hinge between parts 8 and 5S of the latching means is provided by a layer of fabric or tape 54 adhesively secured to the upper surfaces of said members. Also, as here shown, container I0 is provided with carrying handles 56 secured to the lateral portions of movable parts 34. It will be noted that said handles are positioned so that they do not interfere with the supporting feature of said movable parts when the latter are disposed in their retracted positions in which they broaden the base i the receptacle, as illustrated in Fig, 2.

The receptacle IA illustrated in Fig, 5 is or can be of the same construction as that of container iii as hereinbefore described, but it will be noted that in container IGA the partition members which sub-divide the interior of the container into a plurality of compartments are omitted and that the spacing members provided in container ID are also omitted. Further, as illustrated in Fig. 5, the longitudinally spaced portions SZA of the front of the receptacle body, corresponding to front portions 32 of container it, are formed in one piece with the laterally spaced side walls I :iA which correspond to the side walls le of container il). The movable parts 34a. are or can be of the same construction as the movable parts 3L! and are hinged to side walls MA of the receptacle body in any suitable way as by the strips [i2 illustrated in Fig. 1. Parts 32A preferably have the downwardly and rearwardly inclined surfaces 58A and 89A corresponding to the similarly inclined surfaces 58 and E0, respectively, of the spacing members 26 and 3i] of the container as illustrated in Fig. 3. Also, if desired, container H3A may be provided with a part corresponding to the lower rear spacing members 28 as shown in Fig. 3y with respect to container I0.

The containers embodying the present invention can be made of any suitable materials or combinations of materials. For example, said containers can be made of cardboard, wood, metal, any suitable plastic, etc., or combinations of such or other materials. Further it will be understood that the outer surface of the container can be covered in any suitable way, for example, by fabric, paper, etc. which can be of any desired ornamental character. It will be understood that the invention may be embodied otherwise than as herein shown or described and that certain features of the invention may be used without others, and that various changes may be made in the containers of the present invention without departing from the underlying idea or principles of the invention within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A container comprising a body defining a receptacle, said body having a bottom, an end wall, and laterally spaced side walls upstanding from said bottom, the width of said bottom between said side walls being less than the front to rear length of said bottom, said receptacle having a front opening in a plane disposed transversely of said side walls, the plane of said opening being inclined upwardly toward the rear of said body, each of said side walls being in the form of an isosceles triangle with a right angle between the bottom and end Wall of the container body, and closure members having sides coextensive with said side walls, respectively, and each hinged to one of said side walls along an edge, which is the hypotenuse of the triangular side wall and of the closure member hinged thereto, said closure members being movable from retracted positions to positions in which said members extend forwardly of said opening and form continuations of said side walls, said members having lateral portions which form the top and an end wall of the container, in said last mentioned positions of said members, said meme bers when in their retracted positions being disposed in confronting surface relation with the adjacent side walls, respectively, and having their end-wall forming lateral portions extending outwardly therefrom, respectively, and positioned at the bottom of the receptacle body and forming lateral extensions of said bottom for broadening the supporting base of said receptacle body.

2. A container comprising a body dening a receptacle having a. bottom, an. end wall and laterally spaced side walls, each of said side walls being in the form of an isosceles triangle with a right angle between the bottom and end wall of said body, said receptacle having an opening in a plane disposed transversely of said side walls, said opening lying in a plane inclined upwardly and rearwardly from the front end of said body, and triangular shaped planar parts having sides coextensive with said side walls, respectively, and hinged to said side walls, respectively, along an edge which is the hypotenuse of the triangular side wall and of the part hinged thereto and movable from retracted positions laterally of said side Walls, respectively, to positions in which said parts extend forwardly of said edges of the companion side Walls, respectively, and form with said companion side walls rectangular planar members at the opposite sides of the container, said movable parts having lateral portions which abut each other in said last mentioned positions of said parts for covering said opening of the receptacle body.

3. A container comprising a receptacle body having a bottom, a rear end wall and laterally spaced side walls, each of said side walls being in the form of an is-osceles triangle with a right angle between the bottom and end wall of the body, means in said body sub-dividing the interior thereof into a plurality of narrow disk-receiving recesses disposed in side by side relation laterally of the body, said recesses having openings lying in a plane inclined upwardly and rearwardly from the front end of said body toward said rear end wall, the recesses being of such depth that portions of disks positioned and supported in said recesses project outwardly therefrom through said openings, and closure members positioned at the opposite sides of the container and extending forwardly and upwardly beyond said openings for enclosing the projecting portions of the disks, said closure members having sides coextensive with said side walls, respectively, and hinged to said side walls along an edge which is the hypotenuse of the triangular side wall and of the closure member hinged thereto, at least one of said closure members having a part which is disposed in the plane of the bottom of the receptacle body and projects laterally from the companion side wall, when said one of the closure members is moved to its open position.

4. A container comprising a receptacle body having a rear end wall, a bottom, and spaced side walls, each of said side walls being in the form of an isosceles triangle with a right angle between the bottom and rear end wall of said body, means in said body sub-dividing the interior thereof into a plurality o-f narrow disk-receiving recesses disposed in side by side relation laterally of the body between said side walls, said recesses being open at the front of said body, the recesses being of suc-h depth that portions of disks positioned and supported in said recesses project outwardly therefrom through said open front of the receptacle body, the upper edges. of said side walls slanting downwardly from said end wall toward said bottom, and closure members positioned at the opposite sides of the container and extending forwardly of said front of the receptacle body for enclosing the projecting portions of the disks, said closure members having sides coextensive with said side walls, respectively, and lhinged to said side walls along an edge which is the hypotenuse of the triangular side wall and of the closure member hinged thereto, for movement to open positions in which said closure members lie adjacent and parallel to the companion side walls, respectively, said closure members having lateral portions which are disposed in the plane of said bottom of the receptacle when said closure members are in said open positions thereof.

JON STENGREN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 887,631 Hawthorne May 12, 1908 1,755,074 Ray Apr, 15, 1930 538,592 Maxwell Apr. 30, 1895 D. 141,077 Sawyer May 1, 1945 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 204,955 England Oct, 11, 1923 

